Worried Beijing lodges strong protest after ISIS attack on Chinese restaurant in Kabul

Beijing/Kabul: A day after an explosion outside a Chinese restaurant in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, caused multiple casualties, including the death of one Chinese citizen, Beijing on Tuesday once again urged the Chinese citizens not to travel to Afghanistan “in the near future”.

“China has lodged an urgent protest with Afghanistan, demanding that Afghanistan do its utmost to treat the wounded, take further effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, projects, and institutions in Afghanistan, and promptly investigate the truth and punish the perpetrators,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters during a regular media conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

The spokesperson stated that officials of the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan have visited the hospital where the wounded are being treated to express their condolences.

“China strongly condemns and firmly opposes terrorism in all its forms, and supports Afghanistan and other countries in the region in their joint efforts to combat all forms of terrorist violence. In light of the current security situation in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again reminds Chinese citizens not to travel to Afghanistan in the near future. Chinese citizens and enterprises already in Afghanistan should enhance their awareness of security, strengthen security measures, and evacuate from high-risk areas as soon as possible,” he added.

Several reports cited on Tuesday that ISIS-Khorasan has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on the Chinese restaurant in Kabul.

“Islamic State Khorasan has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack that targetted a Chinese restaurant in the Shahr-e-Naw district of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Monday, January 18, at 3 p.m. The Taliban confirmed that seven people, including a Chinese national, were killed and 13 others were injured in the attack,” reported UK-based Afghan media outlet Afghanistan International.

“The ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency said in a statement that a suicide bomber detonated himself inside a restaurant where Chinese nationals and their security guards were present. The statement claimed the attack resulted in deaths and injuries among Afghan civilians, as well as Taliban members tasked with protecting the premises. ISIS provided no documentation to confirm the number of casualties but claimed a total of 25 people were killed or wounded,” it added.

According to the local media, the statement mentioned that the targetting of Chinese citizens was in protest against what the terror organisation described as “China’s policy towards Uyghur Muslims.”

IANS